New York Police search for attacker who assaulted elderly Jewish man on camera

The New York Police Department (NYPD) is searching for the person who assaulted an elderly Jewish man.

The incident reportedly occurred at 11:50 am on Wednesday in Borough Park, Brooklyn, and it is understood that the NYPD is investigating it as a hate crime.

The assault allegedly occurred when a dispute arose over a parking space. It was reported that the Jewish man was asked by a woman to move his van, to which he replied that he would move it when another vehicle arrived. A video seemingly shows an angry man approach the Jewish man, telling him to “get off [his] property” and to “get the f**k out of here” while behaving aggressively.

The attacker can be heard yelling: “You disrespected my woman”, to which the Jewish man replies: “I told her I’m gonna move it.” The assailant then shouts “no, you told her no”, before slapping the Jewish man across the face, knocking him over and causing his skullcap, or “kippah”, to fall off of his head.

The Jewish man reported that he suffered a cut on his mouth and a bruise under his eye. He added that he lost consciousness after receiving the blow.

Borough Park Shomrim appealed for witnesses on Twitter, writing: “An elderly resident was viciously assaulted at approx 12pm, on 39th Street and 12th Avenue. Our volunteers were on scene and a report was filed with @NYPD66Pct. If you see him, please call 911 and the #Shomrim hotline 718-871-6666. #YourCityYourCall”

New York Mayor Bill De Blasio condemned the attack on social media, tweeting: “This kind of vicious act of violence won’t be tolerated in our city. The NYPD is investigating and make no mistake, the perpetrator WILL be brought to justice. If you have any information, please contact @NYPDTips immediately.”

Campaign Against Antisemitism has expanded our coverage of antisemitism worldwide. Please contact us if you would like to share feedback or volunteer to assist with this project.